Numbering stamp for photographic-printing machines



June 11, 1929. R. s. HOPKINS 1,716,523;

' NUMBERING STAMP FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR,-

KOyS HOL June 11, 1929. x s, opxms 1,716,523

' NUMBERING STAMP FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC tnrmme MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R0ySHj1 zi%? BY 612 ATTORNEYS.

Patented 1.....1-1, 1929.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY S. HOPKJJTS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW'YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COM- PANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

NUMBERIN G STAMP FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINTING MAOHIN ES.

Application filed November 19, 1927. Serial- No. 234,459.

This invention relates to photographic printing machines, and more particularly to numbering stamps with which an identifying number may be printed simultaneously with the printing operation. One object of my invention is to provide a printing stamp which is simple and certain in its operation. Another object is to provide a means for inking the printing stamp. Another object is to provide an.inking mechanism which may function in advance of the stamping operation. Another object of my invention isto provide a structure by which the stamp con- I tact may be readily adjusted at any time.

Another object of myinvention is to provide a printing stamp support from which the stamp may be easily detached and to which it may be readily attached. Still another object is to provide a stamp mount in which the stamp may be readily adjusted to a printing or to a non-printing position. And other objects will appear hereinafter from. the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

a Coming now to the drawings wherein like .reference characters denote Y like parts throughout: k Fig. 1 is a section through a printing machine illustrating a stamp constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention; V

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the stamp mount together with a 5 side elevation of a stamp;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a platen removed from the printing machine showing .the stamp carrying parts;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section shown on line H' of Fig. 5, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the stamp carrier and the stamp operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a stamp removed from the stamp'carrier;

.Fig. 7 is side elevation of the stamp shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing parts of the stamp operating mechanism.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in Fig. 1 as a typical printing machine a cabinet 1, having the usual printing panel 2, printing lamp 3, enclosed in a reflector 4, and platen frame 5 which carries the platen 6 mounted to move to and from the printing panel 2 upon a hinge 7. This hinge may consist of a shaft keyed to the 1 bearing members 8 (only one being shown).

-The platen may be operated by an, arm 9 WhlCh, as best shown in Fig. 3, is an integral part of the platen frame 5. To arm 9 there is pivoted at 10 a pitman 11 which is pivoted at 12 to a disk 13 rotated by a power shaft 14.

Since this forms no part of my present invention, it is suflicient to know that the power disk 13 is driven between a starting position indicated at A and a printing position indicated at B by suitable mechanism, and, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, it should be noticed that the platen comes to rest in the full line positions in which the platen is not completely raised. With the parts in the normal starting position indicated. at A, the first portion' of movement ofdisk l3 raises the platen so that when p1vot 12 reaches the position shown at I the printing stamp, broadly designated as P, is brought into contact with the ink pad 15, and as this movement is continued until pivot 12 reaches the position shown at B where the stamp P is pressed against the printlng panel 2 as the platen 6- is in its fully lowered or printing position. i

. Referring to Fig. 3, the platen frame 5 may consist of side arms 16 to which the platen face 6- may be suitably fastened. While I prefer the platen 6 to be of transparent or translucent material, for the purpose of the present invention it may be of any suitable material. There is a cut-out portion 17 through which the printin stamp P may function. As a part of the rame 5,

there is a tubular arm 18 which is free to turn upon a shaft 7 which, as previously described, is preferably pinned at 19 to a bearing 8. p

In order to support the stamp carrier a pair of upwardly extendin lugs 20 are rovided for receiving a shaft 21 upon w ich the carrier 22 is mounted. As best shown in Fig. 5, the carrier 22 is preferably made of flexible sheet metal, and this part is provided with downwardly extending flanges 23 which are hinged upon shaft 21. The central portion 24 of the yoke-shaped stamp carrier is preferably unflanged so that it is free to flex or bend. From the base portion v as springs 35 and 36 lie between the under surfaces 37 and 38 of the arms and 26 and the tops of lu s 29 and 30, by adjusting the nuts 34 and 35 the distance between the arms and the platen face 6 may be easily adjusted. Thus each arm may be individually adjusted to and from the platen.

The stamp P may be of any usual type, and is here shown as consisting of a series of numbering disks 39 carried by a shaft 40, and adjustable through the stamp turning members 41 which are carried by the trigger 42 in the usual manner. To each side of a standard printing stamp is attached a plate 43 or 44. Plate 43, as indicated in Fig. 4, is provided with a central bearing aperture 45 with a diameter sufficient to receive the centering pin 46. The flat outer surface of this belt may be engaged by the clutch face 48 which is preferably a leather or other friction surfaced disk which is affixed to a backing plate 49 carried by a shaft 50. \f

Shaft 50 passes through a pair-of apertures in the arms 27-27 which form bearings in which this shaft may turn when ac-' tuated through the pulley 51 which is connected by means ofa belt 52 of a pulley 53,

.this second mentioned pulley being prefera bly pinned, as at 54, Fig. 8, to the shaft 7. It should be remembered that shaft 7 is a fixed shaft so that pulley 53 does not turn. When, however, the platen is moved it will turn upon shaft 7 and belt 52, which is preferably a coil spring belt, will cause pulley '51to turn in the direction shown by thearrow, Fig. 8, thus, through the clutch 47 and 48, turning the stamp P so-that the type carried by the stamp disks 39 may liein the proper position to touch and be inked by the pad 15.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the clutch faces 47 and 48 may be separated to remove the stamp by drawing up the handle 55 which will compress spring 56 between flange 27 and a washer 57 pinned to the shaft. This movement can withdraw pin 46 from aperture 45 so that to remove the stamp P it is only necessary to draw out upon handle 55.

Plate 44 attached to the stamp P by screws 60 differs from plate 43 in that in addition to a central aperture 61 there is also an aperture 62 and an arcuate slot 63, both of which are spaced from the center aperture 61 the same distance; so that either may be engaged by a pin 64, best shown in Fig. 4.

This pin is parallel to fixed pin 65 which engages and centers the stamp by entering the aperture 61 when the stamp is in operating position. Pin 64 is spring pressed into a position in which it may engage aperture 62 or slot 63 by means of a spring 66 which engages a washer 67 carried by the shaft and a flange 28 of arm 26, thus the shaft 64 is spring pressed into the position shown, but may be withdrawn from this position by drawing out on handle 68. This structure forms in effect a latch mechanism by which the stamp may be held inv an operative or in an inoperative position. a

When the stampis to be used for numbering prints pin 64 may lie in the arcuate slot 63, thus permitting the printing stamp P to swing upon pins '46 and 65-65, as the arcuate slot 63 is of sufiicient length to permit the stamp P to swing from a printing to an inking position, as indicated in Fig.

8. Vhen, however, the stamp is not to be used, pin 64 is withdrawn from the arcuate slot 63 by handle 68, and the stamp is swung upon its pivots into a position in which the pin 64 may engage in the aperture 62, thus holding the stamp against turning and holding it in a position in which the stamp disks will be held out of an operative position. Vhen in this. position if the platen 6 is operthus permitting relative movement between the stamp. operating mechanism and the stamp itself. If the stamp is not to be used forsome time, however, it is advisable to disconnect the spring belt 52 so as to not unduly wear the clutch 47 and 48.

With a stamp mount constructed in'accordance with my invention as above de-' scribed the operation for using it may be as follows: The contact of the stamp disks 39 7 may be first adjusted by turning nuts 33 and ated the clutch. faces 47 and 48 may slip,

ated to raise the platen which will automatically come to a stop in the position shown in Fig. 1. After placing the negative and printing paper together with the mask, if desired, in the usual manner upon the printing panel 2 the mechanism may e actuated so that the first part of the movement will ink stamp P and the remainder of the platen lowering movement will turn the stamp through belt 52 into a rinting position in which it is firmly presse upon the back of the printing paper.

Having thus described my invention, what printing machine operating I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen movable thereover, the combination with a platen moving mechanism, of a stamp carrier, including a yoke, means for mounting a stamp in said yoke, said yoke being made of material at least part or which is resilient, and means connecting parts of the yoke to the platen by which the resilient part of the yoke may be flexed to adjust the stamp contact.

2. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen movable thereover, the combination with a platen moving mechanism, of a stamp carrier, including a base member and arms extending from the base to support a stamp, means connecting the arms to the platen through which the arms may be individually adjusted to and from the platen to adjust the stamp contact.

In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen movable thereover, the combination with a platen moving mechanism, of a stamp car rier, including a base member of flexible metal plate having arms extending therefrom for supporting a stamp and'lneans for individually adjusting the arms to and from the platen by flexing the plate whereby stamp contact may be adjusted.

4. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel anda platen movable thereover, the combination with a platen moving-mecl1anish1, of a stamp carrier, comprising a yoke hinged at one end to the platen, arms forming. part of the yoke, posts extending up from the platen through said arms, and means for limiting the movement of the arms on said posts.

5. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen mov. able thereover, the combination with a platen moving mechanism, of a stamp 'carrier, comprising a yoke hinged at one end to the platen, arms forming part of the yoke, posts extending up from the platen through said arms, springs encircling said posts and pressing upon said arms, and nuts on said posts adapted to move said arms against spring pressure to and from said extending from said p1ate, a hinge connection between said plate and the platen, posts extending up from the platen through the arms, springs surrounding said posts, nuts for limiting the movement of the spring pressed arms, whereby each arm is independently adjustable by adjusting a screw thus flexing the spring metal plate. I 7. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen movably mounted with respect thereto, the combination of a stamp carrier including aone piece flexible metal plate having arms, adjustable means connecting each arm to the platen and a trunnion carried by each arm for supporting a stamp, means for moving a tr unnion laterally to remove the stamp, and means associated with a trunnion for limiting the movement of the stamp thereupon. a

8. In a photographic printing machine having a printing panel and a platen mov- -ably mounted with respect thereto, the combination of a stamp carrier including a pair of spaced arms, trunnions on the arms adapted to engage a stamp, a friction element adjacent one trunnion adapted to frictionally engage thev stamp, whereby the stamp may be turned upon .its, trunnions throu h the friction element.

9. n a photographic printing. machine having a printing panel and a platen movably mounted with respect thereto, the combination of a stamp carrier including a pair of spaced arms, trunnions on the arms adapted to engage a. stamp, a friction ele-' ment adjacent one trunnion adapted to friction'ally engage the stamp, and a latch mechanism adapted to hold the stamp in or out of an operative position.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 16th day of November, 1927.

ROY s. HOPKINS. 

